GrabTaxi launches its Uber-like GrabCar in Jakarta

More than a year after its initial launch, GrabTaxi’s Uber-like GrabCar is now available in Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital.

GrabCar signs up car owners to become part of their on-demand fleet. It’s the newest transportation option from GrabTaxi, which now covers regular taxis, premium cars, and motorcycle taxis in Jakarta.

Price-wise, a GrabCar ride is cheaper than a regular taxi in the city. In contrast to a metered taxi, the rate will be fixed. GrabCar is available as a new tab within the GrabTaxi app, and interested users can calculate the fare for their usual routes. But for now, actual rides are only available for trips between two vicinities: Semanggi and Kemang.

To introduce the new service, GrabBike offers rides for free from August 9 to August 31.

GrabCar is a direct competitor to Uber, which has been available in Jakarta since mid-2014, offering either UberBlack for premium cars or UberX for cheaper rides. Uber’s cars are available everywhere in the city, yet GrabCar has one large advantage over Uber in Indonesia at this point: it allows cash payments. Few Indonesians have credit cards, which poses a challenge to Uber’s growth. But since Uber has already introduced cash payments elsewhere, it might follow suit in Indonesia as well.

GrabCar, which is part of the Malaysian startup MyTeksi, is already available in countries like the Philippines and Singapore.